Everything Else Can Wait
by xonceinadream
Summary: Sue gives birth while Reed's away with the help of an old friend. - Ah, Reed and Sue. I just love them. They're so special. And, of course, the dynamic of the team as a whole. Marvel's first family is really that: a family. Platonic love is just as valid and important as romantic love. Happy Valentine's Day!


Franklin is born in early February, three days before Valentine's Day. Reed's off on a mission with Ben and Johnny and Sue can't go to the hospital. She knows that she would be well taken care of but she can't stand the thought of the doctors going to the press. This has never been her path in life. Sue wanted to help people, not have to dodge paparazzi on the way to the grocery store.

If Reed knew that she was so close to giving birth, he would never have agreed to go to outer space. But babies come when they want and, as Sue sits cross-legged on the bed that she shares with her husband, she is sure that the baby wants to come now.

It's moments like this that make her think of her parents. In the last few years she's gotten into contact with her biological family on her mother's side but found them lacking. The only thing that they had wanted from her was signed pictures and money. From then on, she's contented herself with her teammates as her family.

For a few brief moments, Sue contemplates delivering the baby herself. It can't be that hard. And they have everything that she can need in their medical center in the building. As soon as the thought crosses her mind Sue dismisses it. She's had a hard enough pregnancy already. She's not going to risk their baby just because she has a bit of hospital anxiety.

Sue reaches over to grab her phone, flipping through her contacts. If not her mother, her father would probably come in handy right now. He would most likely convince her to go to the hospital but he would be there to hold her hand at least. If Reed was here, and there were complications two of the greatest minds on the planet couldn't solve, then he'd hold her hand in the hospital room too.

Victor's name pops out at her right as she locks the phone and she immediately unlocks it again, staring for a few long moments. They're not on the best terms, considering. He tried to destroy their planet, they tried to destroy him. He tried to destroy them and they retaliated by sending him to a penitentiary. If not for the threat of the world ending last year and needing as many scientists as they could, he would still be in there.

Sue's eyes slide up to glance at the corner of her phone, looking at the time. The boys have only been gone for three hours and it could take them much longer. She has to make up her mind and… well, she supposes that there are worse people to help her deliver the baby than him. At least he'll know what he's doing.

Although he knows that it's impossible, Reed senses that something is off as soon as he comes into the building. Johnny and Ben don't seem to have the same qualms, laughing and joking with each other but Reed can feel it. He hadn't wanted to go on the mission with them, had tried to get out of it to stay with Sue but he'd been needed. Sue knew the risks of their jobs, as they all did, and had insisted that he go.

"There's somebody here," Reed says under his breath right as Johnny is about to flame up, no doubt to try to cause some sort of trouble with Ben. The amount that they pay repairing the building because those two won't stop fighting is tremendous sometimes. If it keeps them from killing each other, though, he can't complain. At least he knows they won't really hurt each other with their powers. At the end of the day, they're a family and Reed is forever grateful.

Ben frowns as he looks around, both of the boys silent because they understand what it could mean, especially with Sue here alone and vulnerable. "What are you talking about? The alarm's on. Nobody's here."

That truth hangs in the air as they approach the elevator and Reed clicks a few buttons and presses his thumb against the scanner. "I'm sure that somebody's been in here."

"You're just paranoid. Come on. Let's get back up to Sue so that you can stop worrying," Ben says, giving Reed a light shove that would send any normal human flying.

Reed nods shortly, his concern growing they go up the elevator. When he steps off on their floor, he'd call out to Sue but he's still wary and that's when he hears the voice that makes him go cold. The three men look at each other before they're all running, Johnny flaming up before a word is even said.

"Get away from my wife!" Reed warns as they near the bedroom, confident in his ability to take his enemy with his teammates at his side. Fear is making his head hurt as they enter the room where Sue's been on near constant bedrest.

Victor turns to them, his eyes flashing and Reed would swear that he was smirking if he didn't know any better. "Your wife is the one who called me," he says smoothly, standing aside, cape sweeping behind him and Reed freezes.

"You-"

"I'm fine. I needed help and I couldn't distract you from saving Earth. Victor helped me," Sue interrupts Reed before he panics.

How could he not panic, though? He hadn't expected to come home to see Sue reclining on the bed, hair in her face, cheeks pink and shining with sweat. He hadn't expected her to be cradling a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms, a few tiny fingers visible over the sides. At his side, Johnny lowers himself to the ground, diminishing his flames.

They all seem to be struck silent by the intensity of the moment.

Reed doesn't realize that he's moving until he's next to the bed, staring down at the two of them. The baby in Sue's arms is so small, smaller than Reed had even thought possible. Reed's done so much research, learned so much about babies and fatherhood and parenting and delivering babies but suddenly he feels lost.

"A healthy baby boy," Sue whispers tentatively, as if Reed could be anything other than deliriously happy over their son being born.

Reed looks up, realizing that he's been silent and he grins, brighter than he probably ever has before. He's disappointed in himself that he missed the birth, angry that Victor was there to help instead, but that fades in comparison to the love and excitement that he feels over Sue and their child.

"Healthy enough," Victor says from next to them, crossing his arms and Reed looks up at him. "It was a difficult labor and Sue told me that it was a difficult pregnancy. You should be taking better care of her."

"Victor-" Sue starts but Reed isn't the only one who takes offense to those words.

Across the room, Johnny and Ben both step forward, Ben's fist clenched and Johnny's eyes narrowed. "Look, buddy, how about you and me-" Ben starts angrily.

He's interrupted by the sound of a small cry and Sue immediately shifts the baby, smiling down at him. Victor had stepped out so that she could feed him earlier, had only barely returned when her teammates had come back in. That little cry seems to shock the three men and Sue has to smile, carefully holding him out for Reed.

"Here. I'm sure that he wants to be held by his father," Sue murmurs.

Reed looks up at her and then back down, examining the baby and then he reaches out carefully. He wonders how long since the baby was born, how long that the labor took. He curses himself for leaving and vows that he won't again if Sue needs him. There are other people who can save the world and Sue has to be his priority.

The little boy's face is scrunched up, one tiny fist pressed to his lips and his eyes closed. He has a tuft of light colored hair on his head and Reed can't wait to lay him down, to open up the blanket to count his fingers and his toes. He already knows that his son is perfect but he has to check. And he knows the world doesn't compare. He'll do anything for the little boy in his arms.

"Did you two decide on a name?" Ben grumbles, knowing that he can't exactly try to kill Victor in the same room as his godson.

"Franklin," Sue says quietly and Reed nods his confirmation. They'd discussed names before and he'd been more than happy with the name they'd chosen. "Franklin Benjamin Richards."

Ben opens his mouth and Johnny has to snort at the picture that he presents. "Really?"

Victor groans, throwing up his arms. "Well, this family moment is getting to be way too much. I'm going to take my leave before you make me sick."

"Victor wait," Reed says as he carefully hands the baby back to Sue. He stands up and Sue tenses on the bed, unsure what he's going to do. But Reed nods at him, holding out his hand. "Thank you."

Victor looks down at the outstretched hand and then scowls up at Reed. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Sue. The rest of you can go to hell for all I care. Don't think that this changes anything." With that, the man glances back at Sue once, and then sweeps out of the room, his cape making an audible swooshing sound that has Johnny giving an appreciative little hum.

"Such a likable fellow, he is," Johnny says with a roll of his eyes as he comes around the side of the bed. "Now let's see my nephew."

"Hey, he's my godson," Ben interrupts, coming forward so that he can get a good look at the baby now that he's not on edge anymore.

Reed narrows his eyes as he sits down next to Sue again. Before he can speak, Sue does, though. "Why don't you three take turns holding him? I'm exhausted. I didn't want to sleep until you got here." There's the unspoken words that Sue didn't want to leave the baby alone with Victor and again Reed curses himself for not being there for her.

Ben reluctantly lets Johnny take the first turn holding Franklin and Johnny walks towards the door, telling him about how he's going to buy him a motorcycle when he's old enough and how they'll pick up all the hottest chicks. Ben snorts as he follows, telling Johnny that'll never happen since Franklin will want to spend all of his time with his favorite Fantastic Four member, Ben of course.

"How're you feeling?" Reed asks once he and Sue are alone, although he can still hear Johnny and Ben in the hall, both of them still too on edge with Victor alone with Sue and the baby before they got here.

"Just tired," Sue murmurs, leaning into his touch as he pushes her hair off her forehead. She gives him a lazy smile and he kisses her softly, feeling so much love for her that he thinks he might burst with it.

"You should've let me know before I left," Reed scolds gently, glancing towards the door. His yearning to be with his son is nearly overwhelming but right now, he knows that he can give Sue a few more minutes. She'll be asleep soon and so he sits down next to her, puffing himself up a bit to make himself more comfortable for her to rest against.

Sue yawns, curling up a little against him and Reed caresses her hair. "I wasn't in labor before you left. Besides, I knew that you had to go. I wasn't going to be that selfish. Victor helped just fine."

"And why did you call Victor? Why didn't you go to the hospital?" Reed asks, more amazement filling him at his stubborn wife.

He can feel as Sue's lips curve against his stomach. "I didn't want to deal with the media and the photographers. I wanted it to be private and I knew that as much as Victor might hate you that he would help me. And he did. He was wonderful, really. And he made sure that I was safe and the baby was healthy."

"Okay, okay," Reed grumbles, not needing Sue to expound on Victor's virtues any more. Sue giggles at his side and Reed bends down to kiss her head. "As long as you're safe. And you understand that if we have more kids that I'm going to be here. I'm not leaving you when you're pregnant again."

"We're superheroes. It's what we do," Sue points out, reaching up to grab his hand and pressing a kiss to his palm. "Now, go spend time with your son. I'll be fine. I just want to sleep."

Reed wants to argue but he does so badly want to see Franklin. "I love you," he murmurs as he slowly stands up and Sue replaces his body with a pillow underneath her.

"I love you too. Make sure that Johnny and Ben don't argue too badly in front of the baby," Sue responds with a nod.

"Of course," Reed says, laughing quietly. He shuts the door with a soft click and then rolls his eyes as he gets closer and hears Johnny and Ben arguing about which of them would get to take Franklin to space first. Reed decides that pulling the 'I'm the dad, I get to take the kid to space first' card could wait. For now, he simply extends himself to snag Franklin out of Ben's arms so that he can hold him. Everything else can wait.


End file.
